Research and Development
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12 May 2011
At Santevia we are passionate about providing better quality water from our line of Santevia water filters. These are not just marketing words, but a critical part of our culture at Santevia. To achieve this goal we have made it a priority to continually evaluate our products and to undertake research and development to make improvements in both our systems and the water they produce.
Santevia Testing LabFor example, when we founded Santevia in 2007 we tested output water to insure that our gravity systems added beneficial minerals including calcium and magnesium, and that they did not add anything harmful. Over the years we tested for specific contaminants, but this year we have initiated a comprehensive testing program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology to confirm the effectiveness of our gravity systems in removing contaminants commonly found in tap waters. This test program currently involves 26 of our systems, with testing being carried out according to NSF/ANSI protocols. In addition to the usual testing we are also testing for pharmaceuticals and hormones, which are of increasing concern to our customers. Interim results show that we are meeting or exceeding NSF/ANSI standards, in many cases by a wide margin.
Santevia pioneered the development of the low profile ceramic pre-filter to avoid the problem with the previously available domed pre-filter. This allowed a higher flow through of water without having to continually top up the upper tank to keep the domed filter fully in contact with the input water. We then refined the design to a two sided ceramic, again increasing flow through, and then further redesigned it to remove the plastic outer ring, improving the surface area in contact with the input water and reducing plastic use. We have further improved the pre-filter by sourcing a higher quality ceramic that permits the return to a one sided pre-filter that improves flow through by 25 to 33% and eliminates the need to remove the pre-filter from the system to allow cleaning. This new product will be available late summer or early fall.
Filter Media VialsWe are currently researching and testing a variety of mineral balls with the view to increasing the concentrations of beneficial minerals in the output water, extending the higher pH shift of the output water through the life of the filter, and lowering its oxidation reduction potential (ORP) value. We are working both in our in-house lab, with independent outside labs, and with our overseas suppliers to bring a better product to our customers. In all cases we are insuring that all upgrades and improvements will fit all Santevia gravity systems, both new and previously purchased.
We responded to some issues where the cartridge connector failed to hold the 5 stage filter securely by having this piece redesigned to eliminate this concern. We have applied our policy of 100% customer satisfaction and will ship a replacement piece to anyone who requests the upgrade, not just those with the problem. We are currently working to provide a tap upgrade for our gravity systems.
We have developed a reverse osmosis system with two post membrane mineral chambers that produces output water with a pH at 9.0 or higher. We have introduced an alkaline energy flask and alkaline mineral stick to allow our customers to have “alkaline to go”. This fall we will introduce an alkaline pitcher that removes chlorine and other contaminants, and provides mineralized high pH and low ORP value “antioxidant” water. Other innovations and products are always at the dreaming and research level, and moving towards reality.
At Santevia we are passionate about providing better quality water from our line of Santevia water filters. I am passionate about our research and development commitments.
David Anderson
Santevia Water Systems
